The village of Granville will soon know its fate, regarding a recent wastewater plant discharge into the Mettowee River.

Mayor Jay Niles said he expected to hear the final decision from the Department of Environmental Conservation by Sept. 4.

The village was issued four citations Aug. 6. They included:

n Unlawful contravention of water quality standards by causing visible turbidity of the river.

n Causing a prohibited discharge (partially treated wastewater) into the river in excess of permitted levels.

n Causing discharge of pollutants, total suspended solids, in excess of permitted levels.

n Failure to properly operate and maintain equipment (the failed pump) at the treatment plant.
“Village officials and wastewater treatment plant operators fully cooperated with the DEC’s investigation,” DEC officials said in a press release.
Each violation carries a maximum penalty of $37,500. Niles has said he hopes the village’s actions, such as those noted in the announcement of the citation, will factor heavily in the decision on the fines.

“I really can’t tell you much more than that until then,” Niles said. A failed pump and the actions taken to compensate for that failure led to the discharge of an estimated 250,000 gallons of incompletely treated water into the Mettowee River from the Granville village wastewater treatment plant on July 28.